Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1887-08-11
THE PONY EXPRESS.
The Starting Of That Or at Enter
prtss-The Longest Race
on Record.

ly took place, have associated him with
the starting Of the "Pooy Express" 81
celebrated many years ago. This is a
mistake worthy of correction, and brici
sketch Of that famous line may not be un-
interesting to many Of our readers who
take an interest in all matters connected
with the frontier.
In 1859 St. Joseph, Mo-, was thu
western terminus OF all raiload communi
cation on the continent Beyond, the
stage coach, the saddle horse and the OK
trains were the ouly means Of commerce
and communication with the Rocky
mountains aud the Pacific slope. In thu
winter Of 1860 there was a Wall stree,
lobby 1t Washington trying to get $40
100000 for carrying the mails overland
lone year between New York and Sa,
Francisco. The proposition was ex.
tremely cheeky, and William II. Russell,
backed by Secretary of War Floyd, re
solved to give the lobby cool bath
Russell, therefor, offered to bet 100000
that he could put on mail line from San
Francisco to St. Joseph that should make
the distance-l95O miles--in ten days
The bet was taken, and tho 9th of April
fixed as the day for starting. Mr.. Rus.
ell called upon his partn.r and general
manager, Mr.. A. B Miller, the gentle
man who died at Denver about three
years ago, and asked him il be could
perform the feat. eyes sir, was the re-
spouse, II can do it by poney express"
To accomplished this object Miller pur-
chased three hundred Of the Aeetes,
horses he could fine in the west, and
employed 1875 men. Eighty Of the
number we're to be post riders, These
he selected with reference to their light
weight and their known daring and cour-
age. 1t was very essential that the
horses should be loaded as light as pos
sible, the lighter the man the better.
It was necessary that some portions OF
the route should be run at the rate OF
twenty miles an hour.
The horses were stationed form ten to
twenty miles apart and each rider would
b. required to make sixty miles. For
changing the animals and shifting Of
mails two minutes were allowed When
there were no stage stations at proper
intervals, tents suficien, to hold one man
and two horses were provided. Indians
sometimes gave chase, but their ponie,
made but sorry show in their stern
chase after Miller's thoroughbreds,
many Of which could make single mile
iu q minute aud City seconds.
All arrangements being complete, a
signal gun on the steamer Sacramento
proclaimed the meridian Of April 9Th,
1860-the hour for star,ing--add Bor-
der Rufian, Mr.. Millsr's private saddle
horse, with Billy Baker 10 the saddle,
bounded away toward the foothills of the
Sierra Nevada and made his twenty miles
in forty nine minutes. The SHOWS were
deep in the mountains, and after the
Salt Lake valley was reached additional
speed became necessary to reach St.
Joseph 10 time. From here all went
we'll until the crossing at Julesburg was
The Platte river was up and
running rapidly, but the rider plunged
bis horse into the food. only, however.
to mirs il the qdicksaud and drown.
The courier succeeded in reaching the
Dhore With the mail bag in his hand, and
Travelled ten miles on foot to reach the
next relay.
johnny Fry, the popular rider Of his
]sy Was to make the flush. He had
'ixty miles to ride, and six horses to do
I with. When the last courier arrived at
he sixty mile post, out from St. Joseph,
10 was one hour behind time. Two
hundred thousand dollars might turn up
N single minute. Fry had just three
'ours and thirty mir utes in which to win.
This was the finish Tor the longest race
nd for the largest purse ever run in
america.
When the time for bis arrival was
carly up at least 5000 people stood up
D the river bank With eyes turued tow
rds the woods from which the horse s
nd its rider should emerge into the open {
'untry 10 the rear Of Elmwood-one t
lie from the finish. Tick, tick. went c
'ousand of watches The time was f
'arly up. But seven minutes remained h
ark shont goes up from the assem- 0
ID multitude. "He comes be comes h
be nobls little mare Sylph darts like an Il
row from the bow and make the run Of it
, last mile in one minute and fifty sec. :,
de-, landing upon the ferryboat with "